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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. kick — in football
  6. squash — to crush
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. staff — employees
  9. fall — to drop
  10. press — a publisher
  11. object — a thing
  12. fall — the season
  13. squash — the sport
  14. press — to push
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. object — to protest
  17. fall — to drop
  18. staff — employees
  19. snap — to click
  20. object — an aim
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. press — newspapers
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. fan — a supporter

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com